Attack On Titan: Wings Of Crystal
Chapter 66: Assassin's Bullet
The blinding light of the gargantuan explosion was finally starting to die down. The raging flames that consumed the entire port and all within were put to rest. It took some time for the black smoke to clear out and unveil the outcome of the devastating inferno.
It wasn't just the port that was taken out. Most of the southern side of the city had been destroyed. All that remained was a large, singed crater of molten rock and fire. Every building, ship, and citizen in the vicinity had been burnt to ashes. Those who were just out of reach of the blast suffered severe burns from the heat, ruptured eardrums from the loud bang, and went blind from the brightness of the blast. Or coughing from breathing in the toxic smoke and damaging their lungs. Others were blown away by the shockwave and crushed to death by the debris of ruined buildings.
Hange and Onyankopon were able to get a perfect view of the horror they've unleashed on the city. Even if they were enemies, they couldn't help but feel disgusted with themselves. To their eyes, this was a slaughter. A ravaged horror. But the one who detonated the bomb felt nothing for them. Why should he? They were Marleyan. Their kind has utilised the Colossal Titan's explosion in a similar way to other nations. It only seemed fitting to have them succumb to the same fate.
To him, the view from the sky was glorious. He felt so proud to see his and his colleagues' years of research and development be put to good use and show Marley the Scout Regiment did not fear them anymore. This was their punishment for all those years of imprisonment behind their walls and suffering at the hands of centuries of Pure Titan sent to their island.
"Marvellous. Just marvellous!" He commented to himself as he gazed out the window. "It was even more beautiful than I could've imagined. We did it, Hange. We have surpassed the raw power of the Colossal Titan!"
Over to his left, he notices that Hange and Onyankopon aren't at all happy with the results. In fact, they were divided on how they should react. Onyankopon was the most distraught which came as a surprise to his employer.
"Do not feel guilty for them." He simply stated. "Think about what their Warrior Unit did to your homeland of Courland. The Colossal Titan reduced it to a smouldering crater like this. Don't forget you said you wanted revenge, and I gave it to you." He then turns to Hange.
"And you. Don't forget you came to me for a weapon stronger than the Winged and Colossal Titans. That's exactly what I've given you… But greatness comes at a price. It always has. For the collective good, sacrifices must be made." He whispered in her ear.
Hange clenches her fist. She's very angry right now. Not at him, but because he was right. She did wish for a more powerful weapon that made Bertolt and Lazarus's explosions look like a firecracker. Ever since she'd seen what both of them were capable of, especially Lazarus, she feared no power in the world could stand up to them. But that all changed when she and all of Paradis met the Anti-Marleyan Volunteers. They gave her what she wanted. But now she can't help but question if they did the right thing.
Back in the plaza, the enraged Galliard sprints towards Eren and the Scouts, determined to cut him to ribbons and eat him.
"Give us your worst, you damn devils! Your plans don't mean jack shit if I take the Founder before you can act on them!"
With her Thunder Spears depleted, Mikasa switches to her blades. Galliard acknowledges her as the other Ackerman Zeke warned him about. The supposed chosen inheritor for the Crystal Titan if they succeed in capturing Michael. He may not like Michael, but he'd rather have his Titan fighting beside him rather than against him.
More Scouts come in from both sides of the Cart and Beast. With the others missing, it was down to them and the Jaw to wipe them out. But Zeke hadn't even gotten the chance to fight as Levi came at him from behind and sliced open his nape while his guard was down.
The Beast Titan collapses to the ground hard with its face looking to the right, in the direction of Magath, Falco, and Gabi. There was nothing they could do to help him even if they tried. Levi was too fast and agile for any of them to kill. All they could do was sit there and watch as he blew Zeke up with a grenade before he had a chance to exit his Titan body.
"GET DOWN!"
The General tackles the young kids and shields them from the explosion. The loud bang drew Galliard's attention away from Mikasa and back to where the Beast Titan's dissolving body was. He and Pieck could not believe what they were seeing. First Michael, and now they've lost their War Chief. All they could think about at that moment was how it all came to this. And where the hell was Lazarus? If he was here the whole outcome of this battle would turn in their favour.
Pieck was so shaken up by the loss of Zeke that she hadn't noticed a couple of Scouts flying over them. The Panzer Unit all opened fire upon them on her behalf. Their machine guns kept them at bay. Any who do manage to fire a Thunder Spear, the Cart Titan simply jumps out of the way.
She leans her body to the side to provide the gunner on her right with a better angle. Though he wasn't the only one. Sasha manages to fire off a single bullet through the slit and killed the right-side gunner. Even if she didn't hit him directly, the bullet ricocheted off the metal wall until it did.
This loss hit hard for Pieck. Over the years she'd built up a bond with her Panzer Unit, treating them like her brothers. Seeing one of them die made it personal. In a blind rage, the Cart Titan charges for her with its mouth wide open.
"YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!"
Jean then appeared from behind the building and fired off a Thunder Spear through her mask and into her eye. "I think it's your turn to pay!"
Five more soldiers close in and all unleash their Thunder Spears on the rest of the turrets, blasting the rest of the unit within to kingdom come. The air fills with the sounds of the Cart's screams of agony and despair as it blindly sprints off the roof and plummets to the ground.
Gabi, Falco, and Magath quickly rush to her aid. She was still alive, though her Titan body had been horrifically burned along the back. It was too hot to the touch; they couldn't pull her out.
"Come on! Finish it!" Jean shouted from the rooftop. He leads the finishing charge on the Cart Titan himself. However, he pauses when he sees Falco standing in front of his target with his arms to the side.
He pleads with him to spare her life, claiming she was a good person and didn't deserve to be killed like this. But Jean doesn't listen and fires off his last Thunder Spear at the Cart, not even caring if the kid gets hurt in the process. Back when Kenny's squad ambushed them, Levi told him that he must never hesitate to kill his enemies, even if they beg for mercy. He kept true to that warning ever since. He was no longer the kind of man who would freeze up whenever a crying child pleaded with him. It was harsh, but it's just how their world is.
Luckily for Falco, The Cart Titan blasted out a powerful burst of steam that redirected the Thunder Spear away from them and into the building a few feet to their right.
Pieck takes this chance to eject herself from her Titan body, but she is in no condition to escape on her own. Falco attempts to pull her free, but Pieck weakly tells her to get away from here and save himself. Those devils had just proven that they wouldn't hesitate to blow him up if he got in their way.
Before they could though, Magath and those of his men who survived the battle this far surround the Cart Titan and fire their rifles at them.
"Keep Pieck covered! Braun, give Grice a hand!" He ordered without taking his eyes off the targets above.
Jean orders his squad to fall back and take cover. Gabi and Falco were successful in cutting Pieck free of her Titan. Magath continues to cover their six as they carry her inside to safety.
Two more Marleyan soldiers accompany them and provide a lookout as the two candidates tend to their wounded veterans. The wounds she'd sustained were so fatal that any regular human would've died in an instant. Her healing factor was keeping her alive, though hers wasn't as strong as the others. The Cart Titan wasn't exactly known for its toughness. It's not like the Armoured Titan.
"Wait! Where's Reiner?!" Gabi asked Falco in a worried manner, only now realising that it wasn't just Michael who sustained damage during the raid. "Is he somewhere close? You told the commander that Eren Yeager got to him and knocked him out. We can wake him up, right?"
"I'm not sure. He's still underground behind the plaza. But um… Listen, I'm sorry, but I'm afraid we have to let Reiner sit this one out… He just watched his mother die. I don't think he has the will to fight anymore."
"What… are you saying? We need Reiner to fight. To avenge Udo, Zofia, and all the other people those devils killed. To protect us now that Michael and Lazarus are gone."
Falco just turns away from Gabi and looks down at the wounded Pieck. He wanted to save them too. But Reiner no longer has the will to fight. Lazarus had been taken out of the fight before it began. Even when he comes back, the battle will be long over by the time he's recovered enough to fight. And Michael was presumed dead.
Gabi stands up and walks over to one of the windows. Falco looked over, wondering what she was up to. Gabi holds out her left hand and starts staring at it intensely while making light grunt sounds like she's trying to focus on one particular spot.
"Gabi, what are you-
"Shush!" She rudely interrupted. She continued to focus her eyes on her hand. She was expecting to see, or at least feel, something in it. But there was nothing there. She carried on doing it for two minutes until she finally gave up and relaxed her body.
"Nothing happened." She uttered in defeat. "… Nothing happened. That means he's still alive!" She shouted happily to Falco's confusion.
"Keep it down, you idiot! Do you want to alert those devils to our presence?!" The fat Marleyan soldier loudly whispered in her direction.
Falco walks over to her right side and quietly asks her what this is all about. Gabi hesitated to answer when she remembered what Erwin told her about not telling anyone about the Wings of Crystal and the partial transfer ritual she took part in.
But he and Lazarus trusted Falco as much as they trusted her. Maybe he wouldn't mind if it was just him. She hated going back on her promise to her mentor and teacher, but Falco would most likely keep on asking her until he got his answer. She glances back at the soldier first, who is more preoccupied with watching over the windows than them.
"If Michael was dead the Crystal Titan would've been drawn to me. I was trying to harness his hardening powers into my hand, but nothing happened. That must mean he's alive." She whispered to him.
"What? Why would the Crystal Titan go to you? Only Ackermans can inherit it." Falco reminded her.
Gabi proceeds to tell him all about the ritual Lazarus performed on her and gives her a small piece of the Crystal Titan to act as a beacon for the rest of the power to come to her if Michael dies. The fact that she was unable to use it was all the proof she needed to know Michael was alive.
Falco could not believe what he was hearing. Technically that makes Gabi the first chosen successor to inherit a Titan, or at least part of one. He was also pleased to know that Lazarus had managed to gain control of the transfer ability. That way he won't have to eat anyone to inherit one of the Nine. However, it didn't matter anymore now that two of the candidates have been killed. He and Colt are the only ones left.
But they were still unconvinced if Michael did survive. He saw Eren obliterate his body within the Titan's nape. Nobody but Lazarus could survive a blow like that. But Gabi wouldn't lie to him. The general is convinced she's clinging to false hopes, but Falco knows Gabi's too strong and stubborn for that. Though he wouldn't call her bright given her blindness when he practically confessed his feelings for her.
"If- If he is alive, then maybe he can locate Lazarus and rescue him." Falco confidently added.
"I hope so. We need him now more than ever." Gabi whispered back.
They both hid to the side of the window and peeked out, trying to spot any lingering devils still flying about. The street was quiet and deserted. The only inhabitant was the rapidly decaying Cart Titan. The silence went on for some time until the skies above were filled with the sounds of propellers spinning.
It was faint at first, but it began to grow louder and louder, forcing the General and his men to come out of hiding and look up. They were surprised to see an airship flying low above their heads. It was the same airship Hange was in. The one that dropped the bomb on the Winged Titan and the reinforcements.
The airship wasn't attacking. It didn't even seem to notice them. Onyankopon was focused on following the trail of signal lights the Scouts had been setting up all along the rooftops, guiding them towards the rendezvous point for pick-up.
"Commander, I just spotted the signal lights."
"That's a relief. At least we know some of the mission went according to plan." Hange places her hand on the black man's left shoulder, helping him ease up. "We're counting on you, Onyankopon. Cross the Internment Zone at low speed and altitude. Our troops will be able to get up to us with their ODM gear. We can only fly through once, so any stragglers who miss us are out of luck. Or in luck if we get shot out of the sky."
"It's a good thing we took out the Winged Titan before that could happen, huh?" He answered whilst chuckling nervously. "I've seen him rip through zeppelins like they're paper. I saw countless airships burn up as they fell to the ground… Do you think he's dead?"
"No. Not for long at least." Hange replied seriously. She briefly thinks back to when she saw the Winged Titan burst out of Armin's Pure Titan. That was the day she, and everyone else, learned that Lazarus was immortal. Had they known then what they do now, they never would've fed him to Armin.
"We don't know the limits of Lazarus's immortality. We have to always assume that he's still alive, and will be back… Unfortunately, we don't have another bomb to drop on him. Even if we did, we'd only end up killing our comrades as well… Just keep on the path ahead and try not to think about it." She attempted to reassure him.
She turns around and addresses the mystery man who detonated the bomb. "You came up with one hell of a reckless plan. I'm starting to wonder if you're a reincarnation of Erwin Smith or something."
"To be honest, I wish I was. He sounded like a great leader from what you've told me. Shame he died. All the more reason why we're doing this, right? To avenge all your fallen comrades. To ensure their deaths were not in vain." Without looking away, he addresses one of the Yeagerists behind him. "You there. Floch, isn't it?"
"Yes sir." He answered him with a respectful salute.
"Are the Colossal and Female Titans secure in the hold?"
"Disarmed and gagged per your request," Floch answered just as respectfully as he did the first time. "Forgive me, but I fail to see why we should take them prisoner. Why not just kill them?"
"The Colossal Titan we have a use for. With my bomb gone, we're going to need a temporary replacement until we can build another. As for the Female, she seems to be the one thing Lazarus truly cares about the most. Someone he prioritises more than his mission. With her as our hostage, the Winged Titan would not dare attack us. He can sense their presence in this very airship, and I know for certain he won't destroy us if it means killing them. Do you understand now?"
Floch nodded and left the bridge to return to his other duties.
"You see, Hange. Everything is going according to plan." The mystery man menacingly chuckles to himself as he looks out on the empty streets of Liberio below.
Now there was just the Jaw Titan left. Galliard's rage only grew for Eren and his followers. His entire unit has been dropping like flies. He was left all on his own to deal with them.
He decided to play it safe by constantly running across the rooftops at a safe distance until he could find an opening and attack Eren when his back was to him. Not the best thought-out plan, but it was the only one he could think of. Deep down he's still hoping for Lazarus to escape their capture and lend a helping hand, then he can focus on keeping Pieck and the others safe whilst he handled Eren.
"First Lazarus, then Michael, then the War Chief, now Pieck?! Damnit! Damnit! Damnit! DAMN YOU!"
The Jaw Titan roars with a vengeance and makes a mighty leap towards Eren. He has had enough of him and his interference. He was too blinded by anger to think clearly, and that made him reckless. The Attack Titan throws a hardened right hook to the Jaw as he was closing in. But instead of flying into another building like he expected he would, the Jaw Titan bites off Eren's right hand and scratches his face up with his sharp claws.
Eren uses Lara's chrysalis to shield himself from the last one. He was surprised to see they were sharp enough to damage the surface of it. "So, this is the power of the Jaw. I see." He thought. He also thought back to his brief fight with the Winged Titan. He remembered seeing his claws being sharp enough to pierce through his hardened fists.
"The Winged Titan was created to carry attributes from all Ten of the Titans. Including yours, Eren." Those were the words of one of the new allies he'd made in his fight against Marley. Someone who knows how the Winged Titan works better than Marley does.
Before he could retrieve Lara from him, Mikasa swoops in and attempts to slice up his nape, forcing Galliard to back off and retreat up to the huge crystal pillar the Warhammer constructed to keep the Attack Titan at bay.
"He's fast. Much faster than Ymir's Jaw Titan." She commented.
By this point, Jean and the others all notice the low-flying airship. Their ticket off this hellhole had finally arrived.
"Don't tell me they're gonna try and escape on that thing?" Galliard said within his Titan's nape. "THAT'S NOT HAPPENING!"
The Jaw Titan leaves its perch and tries to go after it, but Mikasa intervenes by slicing his small legs off. And to make matters worse, he ended up crashing right next to Eren, who pulled him up by the side of his head and overhead threw him into the ground.
He didn't stop there. The Attack Titan places its foot atop his chest and rips his arms off one at a time. The Jaw Titan opens its mouth wide to express its suffering which was just what Eren was waiting for. He shoves Lara's crystal into his mouth, picks him up by the top and bottom of his head, and starts putting pressure on them, forcing his mouth shut. He positions his open mouth directly underneath the crystal, ready to swallow the contents within, using Galliard as a nutcracker.
"What- what are you doing?!" Galliard weakly uttered within his Titan. No one could hear him, but Eren could tell he was scared from the look in his Titan's eyes. "Good", he thought. "You should be afraid."
The crystal started to crack under the pressure of the most powerful jaws. Lara knew this was the end for her. She could see no way out of this. Her brother may have survived, but miracles like that only happen once. Still, she'll at least die happy knowing she fulfilled her purpose as a maid of the Tybur Family. They're all still alive, including Willy. That's all that mattered to her.
"Stop! Stop it!" Galliard internally pleaded.
Mikasa, Gabi, Falco, and pretty much everyone watched as Eren was getting so close to receiving his power-up. Like before, Mikasa couldn't help but question if he was taking things too far. This woman hadn't done anything to him. She was only protecting her family and country from who she deemed the villain. With Lazarus and the others, he had a reason. But the only reason he had for killing her was so he could have her power for himself. That can be interpreted as a villainous act, though she was in no place to question or stop him.
"PLEASE! STOP!"
The crystal continued to crack until the pressure became too much and shattered within the Jaw's teeth. Lara Tybur was reduced to nothing but gallons of blood that the Attack Titan swallowed without remorse. Within the Titan's nape, Eren could feel the power of the Warhammer Titan coursing through his veins. His whole body froze in place, still holding the Jaw Titan over his head.
The two poor kids had to watch that. The Warriors have failed. The Warhammer Titan has been eaten. Now Eren has become strong enough to contend with Winged and Crystal. And it looked like the Jaw Titan was gonna be next. They watch as Eren brutally smashes the Galliard's armoured face into the ground until he is too wounded and dazed to continue the fight.
Enough was enough. Gabi decided to take matters into her own hands and shout out to her cousin, begging him to wake up and save them. She didn't care if the enemy could hear her. There won't be anyone left if she doesn't do something.
"REINER! HELP US! YOU HAVE TO SAVE GALLIARD! HE'S ABOUT TO GET EATEN!"
Reiner was still in a comatose state. Gabi's voice seemed to have reached his ears, but not his subconscious. He still couldn't find the will to finish his transformation and fight Eren.
"Shut up. Just be quiet. Please… leave me alone…" He continued to block them out, even when Falco started calling out to him alongside his cousin. He didn't want to fight anymore. He didn't have the mentality for it. He wondered if maybe Bertolt was feeling the same way right now, wherever he was. The fact that he isn't here now means that he is.
"Mom is gone. Eren killed her… I should've known our victory on that island was too good to be true. This massacre is our punishment for breaking the walls. Eren had every right to make me suffer the way he did… Maybe we are the same."
The Attack Titan was on the cusp of biting down on the Jaw's nape and adding another Titan power to his arsenal. But he was viciously interrupted by a hailstorm of bullets coming at him from behind. The bullets were fired so hard and fast they were able to pass through the nape and hit Eren's actual body, piercing his arms and shoulders.
The Attack Titan roars in pain and ends up dropping the Jaw Titan. He, Mikasa, and the other Scouts all turn in the direction the bullets came from. They were all flabbergasted to see that it came from the number 1 special threat to their mission. Lazarus Averbach decked out in his new quadruple-barrelled Gatling Gun ODM gear nicknamed "Founder's Bane". He was standing tall and proud on the top of the crystal statue head of the Warhammer Titan clinging to the pillar. Smoke was seeping out of the gun barrels, implying that it was he who had fired upon him.
"What the hell?! Lazarus?" Jean spoke up first, asking what everyone else was thinking. "How did he get here so quickly?"
"What is he wearing?!" Connie questioned in a dumbfounded manner. "Is that meant to be ODM gear?"
"More importantly, how did he survive the explosion?" Sasha added.
"He can't be killed, remember? Don't tell me you've forgotten." Jean said to her.
"That's not what I meant."
Mikasa observed him from a distance and examined the new ODM gear he was wearing. Its design was similar in functionality to the firearm-type ODM gear they're using. But the wires, anchors, canister, and especially the guns themselves were much larger. Nobody had seen or even heard him approach. No way he could lug those things around without anyone noticing.
But that wasn't the only matter they've questioned. Mikasa noticed that his clothes were perfectly intact. Had he just got here from the explosion they would've been incinerated, and his body would've been burned, or at least shown signs of him healing from them. The explosion happened twenty minutes ago. There was no time for him to escape his Titan form, swim to the surface, run to wherever his hideout was, put on this gear, and fly all the way here without being spotted. And she doubted he had the gear on when in Titan form. ODM gear that big and full of ammo would not survive the transformation.
She thought back to when Eren discovered the Warhammer's ability to control her Titan remotely. Then she remembered the same words Eren thought of about the Winged Titan and the properties it possesses. It was all coming together.
"Lazarus anticipated we'd come after him first and prepared for it. He must've used the Warhammer's ability to control his Titan from a safe distance while his actual body was locked away in a crystal shell like Annies."
The Attack Titan stares up at him, and Lazarus meets his gaze with his own. It had been four years since they'd last seen each other. Too long. The last time they met, Lazarus easily got the best of him and burned his face off. He chose to let him go. A mistake the albino won't make again.
It wasn't just Eren who caught his eye. Lazarus looked over at every one of his former comrades stretched out over the plaza. He had hoped to see them all again, but not like this. He would give anything to try and make things right with them. To show them how sorry he was. That Marley was to blame. But the future Eren is prophesied to bring jeopardised everything. Marley was no longer the greatest threat to the world, Eren was, and there was nothing he could do to convince them. In their eyes, he will always be their enemy. All he can do is stop Eren himself. Explanations can come later.
"LAZARUS!" The Attack Titan roars the loudest it's ever done, forcing everyone closest to him to cover their ears. He then charges straight for him with his arms stretched forward, already covered in hardening.
The unintimidated Lazarus leans back against the pillar and raises both arms. Gently squeezing the top triggers, he unleashes a massive hailstorm of bullets out of all four rapidly rotating barrels. Eren raised his arms to protect himself, but his face wasn't where he was aiming.
The bullets hit him in the legs, blasting holes in them as though they were shredded cheese until they were completely removed from his body, causing the Attack Titan to stumble and fall forward, skidding across the ground.
The Yeagerist crest-bearing Scouts fly over to him and ready their Thunder Spears. Lazarus leaps off of the statue before they can reach them. He fires off his thicker grapple guns and swings from building to building, with the canister on his back blasting him further and faster than the Scouts themselves.
Whilst in midair, he fires more bullets at them with his left arm whilst using his right to swing. The three Yeagerists were violently ripped apart by the heavy machine gun fire. Their secondary Thunder Spears blew up, obscuring Lazarus's location.
As he is constantly on the move, He catches a glimpse of Reiner sitting unconscious in the hands of his partially formed Armoured Titan. On his way to Eren, he did hear Gabi and Falco's desperate cries for help. But he wasn't answering. It was down to him to break through his mental barriers and bring his friend back to the surface.
"Reiner! It's me, Lazarus! I know you can hear me! You've gotta snap out of it!" More Yeagerists come his way, but he makes short work of them with a few shots. "What is wrong with you, man?! Can't you hear those kids calling out to you?! They need you, Reiner! We ALL need you!"
Reiner's subconscious seemed to have reacted to hearing Lazarus's voice, as his body was starting to twitch.
"Listen to me! Michael, Pieck, and Galliard have been taken down! Zeke is dead! And Annie and Bertolt are missing! I can't take Eren alone! I need you! If we catch him we can end this war right now! We can stop the Rumbling!"
"… No… Leave me alone." He weakly muttered internally.
"PLEASE, REINER! Think about Gabi! Your mother! Everyone! How would they feel if you decided to just keel over and die?! You're better than that. You're my friend! You're my brother! You're my family…"
Those final words finally sparked a true reaction out of him. He could feel his desire to live coming back to him. He started remembering the vow he made with Bertolt. To only end their lives when they feel they have accomplished all they can. If Bertolt is strong enough to uphold it, then so is he. His mother's death almost shattered his entire sense of self, but deep down he knew she would've wanted him to fight back.
His body complied with his mind. Now he had a reason to carry on a little bit longer. Although he'd lost his mother, he still had Gabi and Falco to look out for. He can't abandon them.
The Attack Titan attempts to get back up again, but Lazarus ensures that he stays lying face down by shooting the joints in his shoulders, making him collapse face down into the ground. He quickly hardens his nape to protect himself.
"Like that's gonna help!" He fires directly below him. The bullets somehow manage to break through his hardened skin and pierce his body, forcing a scream out of him. "The bullets used for this gear are made from my own hardening. They're so small, streamlined, and sharp that when fired at such a fast rate, can pierce through even the toughest of hardened armour. The Anti-Titan Rifle Gear would've been more practical, but it still needs more work. Besides…"
He ceases firing once Eren's hardening falls apart like cheap glass, leaving his nape wide open.
"I still need you alive so I can eat you and take the Founding, Attack, and now the Warhammer Titan that you've stolen! I'm done waiting! Today's the day I finally end this era of human warfare!"
The enraged Mikasa springs into action and approaches Lazarus at a furious speed. She attacks Lazarus from the right since his right arm is unable to fire due to being connected to the building. She aims her blades at his head. She knows now it won't kill him, but it'll buy Eren time to recover and escape.
But instead of trying to dodge out of the way, Lazarus quickly switches arms and fires his left anchor into the next building, freeing up his right for a counterattack.
He swings his arm to the side and smashes the underside barrel into Mikasa's gut, greatly winding her and forcing her to let go of her blades. She ends up getting smacked through an upstairs window and tumbles straight into a wall. She coughs and gasps for air whilst holding her stomach, struggling to get her breath back.
"Sorry, Mikasa. But it was for your own good. You're too devoted to Eren to realise what he will become. I can't let you defend him any longer."
He continued to fly across the square, dodging and counterattacking any Scouts that got in his way. Though he was only killing those who bore the Yeagerist symbol on their backs. They were the ones Erwin deemed true enemies of the world. The rest of them are just along for the ride. Even when Jean, Connie, and Sasha tried to get at him, he only fired his guns at a certain angle that forced them to back away without actually hurting them. He meant what he said about Eren being the last friend he would ever kill.
At last, things were turning around for the Omega Unit. Though he wasn't in Titan form, Lazarus was able to turn things around. Falco and Gabi cheered him on from the window. Even General Magath was pleased to see him.
The Attack Titan focuses all its energy on healing its severed legs. Despite Mikasa's early warnings not to go after him, Eren refused to leave this place without crushing his most hated enemy and his new toy.
Using the power of the Warhammer, Eren manages to regrow his legs and cover his whole body in hardened skin and armour identical to the Winged Titans. He stood back up and was about to unleash another roar, only to be interrupted by the flashing light of another Titan Shifter transforming.
An unfinished Armoured Titan manifests before him, manned by a redetermined Reiner Braun. Now Eren was caught between a rock and a hard place. He wasn't sure who to attack first. The Armoured Titan was a bigger and easier target than Lazarus, but he had powerful guns that could cut through hardened skin. Even if he went after him, Reiner would just tackle him from behind and beat him into submission.
He didn't even have the luxury to think it through, as Reiner charged right for him. Eren reels his right fist back and aims for his face. But the Armoured Titan dodged around it and dive rolled past him. Without all that armour weighing him down, he was much more agile. He grabs the disabled Jaw Titan as he is coming out of the role and sticks the landing a few feet away from Eren.
Before he could go after him, Lazarus swoops in and fires another storm of bullets, forcing the Attack Titan to shield its face with its arms again. Only this time, he remembered to put extra hardening on his legs to prevent him from shooting them off again.
To Eren, Lazarus was perhaps the most annoying little insect buzzing around him. Not even the Scouts could get close enough without being blasted out of the sky. His guns had far more range than their Thunder Spears. They'll be dead before they can get within striking distance.
Reiner uses this distraction to get himself and Galliard out of danger. They were safe. Time was running out for the Scouts. They were pinned down by Lazarus and the airship was practically flying over them. It's now or never if they wish to get off this continent with their lives.
But Lazarus wouldn't let Eren leave. He's wasted too many opportunities to take the Founder in the past, he won't do so again. But there was no way for Eren to escape. Even if he left on ODM gear with the others, Lazarus could easily catch up to them. They have to distract him somehow.
"Alright, Reiner and Lazarus!"
The Attack Titan looks over at the set of houses that were miraculously left untouched since the raid began. Gabi and Falco were cheering the two Warriors on from the corner window.
Eren's mind flashes back to one of those little talks he's had with Falco at the hospital. He was telling him about how the Winged Titan brought down the Mid-East Allied Forces airships during the battle at Fort Slava. He knows how much he idolises him. He wondered if Lazarus felt the same way about him and Gabi. Only one way to find out.
The Attack Titan scoops up a handful of debris and reels his left arm back.
"Eren, what are you doing?" Mikasa questioned as she landed on his right shoulder.
He ignored her and thrust his arm forward as fast and as hard as he could, letting go of the smashed building parts. Lazarus quickly dodges to the side to avoid the collision. But he wasn't the target, the building was.
"NO!"
Gabi, Falco, and the soldiers within the building only noticed the incoming projectiles as they impacted the side. The intense shockwave hit them first before the building itself was blown apart.
"GABI! FALCO!" Lazarus immediately blasts off in the direction of the destroyed building as fast as his gear can carry him.
Eren soon emerges from his Titan's nape and watches Lazarus desperately helping Magath and his men scour the wreckage for them. Mikasa was mortified with Eren's decision. Hurting those kids just to get Lazarus off his back. If she didn't have enough doubts about him before, she sure as hell did now.
"Eren… What have you done?!" She hesitantly asked, suddenly acting like the angel on his shoulder.
"We're done here. This fight is over. We've used the last of our strength." Eren responds coldly, completely ignoring her concerns. "No point chasing after Reiner. He's long gone. As for Michael, our plan to capture him has failed. But we will have another opportunity."
Mikasa could not believe what she was hearing. She just watched him butcher two children, one of whom he spent time with since his disappearance, before her very eyes, all to get rid of Lazarus. And that was all he had to say? It was downright horrendous. How could he not care? Are all people he doesn't know completely beneath him to the point their lives don't matter? She wanted to help him realise what he was saying. How much his actions have hurt everyone, including her. But now wasn't the time.
Without question, she wraps her arm around him and begins flying them away from the plaza and in the direction of the approaching airship. Jean and the others all follow her. There's no further reason for their staying here. They've done their job. To locate Eren and bring him back. The plan to destroy Liberio and massacre innocent people was all on Eren and the mystery man.
"This isn't over, Lazarus," Eren muttered under his breath as Mikasa carried him further away from the plaza. His eyes hadn't left Lazarus once. They will meet again soon. This wasn't a vision. He knows it.
By the time Lazarus reached the building, it was already too late. Many Marleyan soldiers had been crushed to death. Anyone else in there will have most likely perished alongside them. But Lazarus refused to accept that. He orders the surviving soldiers to pick up the pace in digging them out since his own hands are full of his Gatling Guns.
"Hurry up! They could be suffocating under there!"
"You don't give us orders, you damn, dirty devil!" One of the Marleyans shouted back at him, only to be silenced when Lazarus pointed the left dual Gatling Gun directly at his face.
"Eren is the real devil here for attacking these kids just to get away! Unfortunately for you, he's not here to be a punching bag!" As his anger flares up, heat starts building up in his chest with little flames seeping out of the gaps in the side of his mouth, as well as his eyes glowing. "You better pray to god they're still alive in there, or else you'll see how it feels to be on the other end of a target range, Marleyan scum!" Lazarus says angrily, the barrels of his gun gear spinning ominously for effect, the sound of them whirring quickly filling the room.
Terrified, the Marleyans ceased their pointless discrimination and quickened their pace to remove the rubble. General Magath also aided in trying to dig them out. They tossed away rock after rock until they managed to make a large enough clearing. He ordered his men to search the entire premises for the candidates. But the back side of the house that was still intact was empty. There were no bodies dead or alive. Not even a drop of blood.
Lazarus pushes past the soldiers and desperately scours the wreckage for them. But Gabi and Falco weren't there. He couldn't decide if this was a good thing or a bad thing. The fact that they aren't here means they are still alive, but now they're out there all alone and under threat of being shot down by the retreating Scouts.
Without saying a single word to the general, Lazarus flies off on his ODM gear in a desperate search for them. Once again Eren had slipped through his fingers. Once again, some unfortunate events put the lives of people he cares about in danger and forced him to abandon his mission. Eren had gone too far this time. Trying to kill his friends he can understand. But targeting innocent little kids whose only crime was being chosen to inherit one of the Nine was far worse than anything he'd ever done.
"You're beyond redemption now, Eren. The next time I see you, I WILL kill you! Count on it!"
The Survey Corps' airship was nearing the end of its passage over Liberio. The time was now for all the surviving Scouts to retreat and return to their island. Eren, Mikasa, and most of the OG 104th members were already on board. Jean and a few of his squad members remained hanging outside to keep an eye out for any more enemy soldiers and shoot them before they could get a chance to shoot their zeppelin out of the sky.
They also kept their eyes peeled for Lazarus. With the Founder's Bane, he could easily shred their balloon to pieces. But they were fortunate he was more preoccupied with finding Gabi and Falco and making sure they were safe.
As it turned out, they were still alive. The two of them were lying on the floor of the shop right next to the building they were in. Before the debris impacted the house, the new commander of the military managed to save them by pushing them out the window at the last second before getting ripped apart.
The kids ended up landing on the awnings of the shop next door, breaking their fall. The shockwave of the impact blew against the underside of the awnings, catapulting them through the shop window. Both of them were knocked out and slightly concussed after hitting their heads on the wooden floor.
They rested for a couple of minutes after waking up until their heads stopped pounding. Gabi was the first to get back up and catch a glimpse of the Scout Regiment retreating towards the airship. She then hears the general and his men shouting in the streets. They appeared to be searching for them, judging by Magath's posture. Lazarus was gone by the point they came too, as he was scouring the town, looking for them.
She could just pop her arms out the window and announce their location. But she had an ulterior motive in mind. Rage begins to overwhelm her again as she snatches her rifle and begins storming downstairs and out the back entrance. It was at this point that Falco recovered and chased after her, worried she was gonna do something stupid.
"Eren Yeager! You won't escape! I'll shoot you down!"
"Gabi, wait!" Falco called out to her, struggling to keep up. His headache still hadn't properly faded out, making his movements slower.
Only when the fighting had come to an end had Erwin decided to make his presence known. Over his teacher's uniform, he was wearing a black hooded cloak with the hood all the way up to cover his face. He wasn't ready to reveal himself to his former comrades yet. Doing so now would trigger them to risk abandoning retreat and launch a rescue attempt. It feels like something Levi and Hange would do.
He was standing on top of Lucia's shop with a pair of binoculars, giving him a clear view of the airship in the distance. He can see several Scouts flying up to it with their new ODM gear. No doubt another one of Hange's inventions. From what he'd observed of the battle, she'd also improved the Thunder Spear range, explosive power, and even allowed a user to hold and fire more than one.
She and Lazarus were highly skilled in ODM gear engineering. He can't help but think what great things the two of them could build together if they'd combined their knowledge. But that's an outcome he could not see happening. At least not right now. Maybe in the future when Eren's true goals are revealed. He could never see his old comrades ever agreeing to use the Rumbling as the best plan. He never could, no matter how bad the situation.
"Everything seemed to have gone exactly as you wanted, Eren. I doubt this attack was part of the Scouts' plan. No, this was all you. Once again, you have forced us to lose more lives just to keep you in custody. It's as if my former soldiers' lives are worthless to you."
"Dad!"
Erwin looks away from the airship and spots a still-weakened Michael standing on the streets waving his arms up to get his attention. He was wearing the same new Gun Gear Lazarus built for him during the Battle of Fort Slava.
"You shouldn't be out here. I told you to rest."
"I'm fine! I've recovered enough strength to walk. What's going on?!"
"The Scouts are retreating. Eren's still alive… and he's eaten the Warhammer." Erwin answered with regret.
Michael's eyes widen with defeat. Lazarus wasn't quick enough. He knew those first couple of failed attempts at manoeuvrability with the Founder's Bane would cost them time. Now Eren's Titan powers have grown stronger than ever before.
But it didn't matter. What's done is done. He and Lazarus can still take him down if they work together and combine their powers.
"… Any sign of Falco and Gabi?" He asked.
Erwin scans the area for them using his binoculars. All he could see were soldiers fighting the Scouts guarding the airship and quickly retreating into it once the streets were clear.
However, he does manage to spot the youngest of the last remaining candidates running through the streets with Gabi upfront with a rifle in hand and a tired Falco trying to stop her.
"I see them! They're alive! But they're dangerously close to the airship. I fear they may be doing something-
He was startled/interrupted by the sound of Michael firing an anchor from his gear into the shop and climbing up to the roof.
"Where do you think you're going?" He grabs his shoulder, stopping him from zipping away.
"I'm going to get them back before they do something stupid!" Michael immediately replied as he tried to pull himself free from his father's grasp.
"No, you're not! It's too dangerous!" Erwin scolded him.
"Obviously! That's why I have to go. I'm trained for this shit. They may be too, but they're still children with no weapons or abilities. I've seen what the Scouts have become. Sasha confessed her feelings for me just so I'd let my guard down and allow Eren to get the Warhammer. The Sasha I know would never do that. Eren has gotten in their heads. I fear they may've been brainwashed to the point they wouldn't hesitate to kill them. Jean sure didn't hesitate to blow up Falco if it meant killing Pieck."
"I understand, son. And I would agree with you under different circumstances. But going after them will put your own life at risk." He responded slowly and calmly trying to get him to change his mind.
"Risk? You were willing to risk your life to give Levi a chance to take down the Beast Titan. You lost your arm and sacrificed many soldiers to get Eren back from us."
"That's different. In both scenarios, I had the strength to fight and dedicate my heart and soul to our cause. You have the heart and soul, but you're lacking strength. There's only so much your body can take until it can't no more." He looks Michael right in the eyes through his goggles. "If you go, you will be too weak to protect them should the Yeagerists intercept. And if you die and Gabi receives your power, they'll only feed her to their successor… Please, son. Let Lazarus take it from here. You've done more than enough."
Michael exhales a breath of remorse and lightly pushes Erwin back a few steps.
"The day we first met; you risked your mission to save me. After you brought me to Trost, you decided to take me in and train me yourself. You had no reason to. I would've held you back as a Scout. But you didn't care. You said you saw something in me. Great potential. Someone who could help remind you what it truly means to be human. Gabi has been doing the same to me. You moulded me from a brainwashed Eldian to truly understanding what the people of Paradis are really like because I got to live as one for a few years… Gabi is the same. She's encouraged me to help her become a better person the same way you have. I could never truly call myself your son if I didn't risk everything to get her back… I have to make sure she and Falco are safe. We need them, just as you once needed Eren to finally fight back against the Titans."
Erwin was at a loss for words. He was not expecting to have his son throw his own speeches back at him like that. He hadn't realised just how much Gabi meant to him. It was the same emotional attachment he developed for him over the years he'd spent with him. Teaching him how to fight. Showing him the good stuff about their world. And just all around being there for him. He sees now that Gabi is more than just his student. She was like the little sister he wished he'd had. Someone he was proud to see develop and grow from the blind Marleyan loyalist to the understanding, caring person she is today. Though there were some parts of her even he couldn't change, not that he wanted to.
"It's no wonder you care about her so much. You're both incredibly reckless and stubborn at the worst of times." He teased. "Settling down in this place has changed me. The more I've been your father, the less I've been feeling like a soldier. I'd almost forgotten the kind of man I'd been shaping you into back on the island… I can't stop you from doing what you think is right. But I can't help but fear something will happen to you."
Michael smiles and hugs his father. "It's normal for a parent to feel that way about their child. The fact that you still do proves that I will always be your son… I love you, Dad."
"I love you too, Michael."
As soon as they'd let go, Michael fired off his anchor into the building behind him and blasted away from the shop as fast as the canister could carry him. He would've kept looking back at Erwin if he didn't wanna risk crashing into anything.
Gabi and Falco continued to run through the streets, chasing after the airship. It was at the end of its passing by. All the Scouts were almost all onboard with only one or two stragglers falling behind. Some of them were ex-Garrison and Military Police still struggling to adjust to their new duties as Scout Recruits. Ever since the truth came out and Titans were no longer considered the only threat, there wasn't much of a need for the Garrison Regiment anymore. The MPs were still around, but only to protect the people as they've always done.
Falco continued to plead with Gabi, begging her not to go after them. He was the only one smart enough to accept the outcome of this raid. They've lost, true and simple. There's no point in going after them now. Even if they wanted to, there was no way for them to reach the airship without an ODM gear.
"Gabi, stop. It's over… They're flying away. There's no point in chasing them. Even you know that."
"…He killed our friends." She whispered under her breath. "Zofia was right next to me, talking, and then she was crushed by a flying rock. Udo tried to get it off her, but it just got him trampled by the crowd. They stepped on his head again and again until it cracked open." She peers down at the rifle in her hands. Her tears dripped onto the stock end of it. "I ran into those gate guards we met the other day and they yelled at me because I was trying to go back to the plaza. They said it was too dangerous. They tried to protect me even though I'm Eldian. Now they're dead. I saw some woman shoot them from a rooftop."
Gabi instinctively looks down at her right hand, still expecting a crystal to form within it. But like the first two times she'd tried, nothing happened.
"Because I am an Eldian who was born in this Internment Zone people spit at the sight of me walking around. I have lots of memories of being treated like dirt. I've been trying to prove to them that I'm one of the good Eldians. That only the ones on Paradis are the devils. Then Michael came along and opened my eyes. He and Mister Smith made us realise that we're not so different from them. But there are still people among them who are devils! Like that same woman who tried to manipulate Michael, which ended up getting him presumably killed.
She lifts her head and a look of defiance forms. "But I don't believe it! Michael is alive! I know it! He told us what kind of person Eren Yeager is, but I'd never imagine he'd go this far… Michael wouldn't let him get away with what he's done, and neither will I. I won't rest until I've killed him!" She clutches her armband tightly. "I made it this far because I believed that one day, we could be proud of these armbands. I did everything I could to make that happen. I proved myself worthy of Michael's power. How could I face him again if I let them go? This Internment Zone isn't perfect, but it's still our home. It's where the people I love live. So, if somebody tramples it, I'm not gonna let them!"
She turns to face Falco. Her desperate glare pierces his soul. "So why? Why would you tell me not to chase them? Mister Zeke was killed right in front of us. You saw Eren throw Michael into houses with people still inside. He used him as a battering ram! Don't you wanna do something?! What if this happened to Lazarus or Colt? Would you have done something then?! Don't you wanna know why all these people had to die?!"
Falco was unsure how to answer that question. Eren asked Reiner that same question back at the plaza minutes before the raid began. He wasn't sure if he should tell her, fearing how she'd react. But keeping it to himself and waiting for her to find out on her own would only deepen her anguish. He couldn't bear that kind of weight on his shoulders.
"Their home was trampled too." He started slowly. "That's why. Our Warriors attacked them years ago and killed lots of people. This is just revenge."
"I…" Gabi froze. She recalled Michael telling her how it all went down from his perspective. When he saw the Winged Titan guiding his followers to lay siege to Shiganshina. When he saw his caretakers get crushed under a chunk of the wall. The day he first vowed revenge. When he got his memories back, that vengeance was swept away like dust in the wind. But it didn't fade with Eren. He held true to his promise to this day.
"That's what Michael told me. Even if this was revenge, it doesn't excuse what they've done! Michael never mentioned Lazarus purposely throwing rocks at children or shoving Titans through streets and buildings! What Eren did is unforgivable!"
"That may be, but-
"But nothing!" Gabi increased the volume of her voice suddenly as she raised her rifle. "It doesn't matter. Eren threatened world peace, remember? Whatever we have done to him, it wasn't half as bad as what he's done. That devil is nothing like us! Stay if you like, I'm going after him!"
And just like that, she was off again. Only this time Falco was contemplating whether he should follow this time. He's not as strong as Gabi was. Lazarus never taught him about vengeance, other than it almost destroyed him and everyone else he'd ever loved. By acting as Marley's weapon, he caused more harm than good.
No. He won't let Gabi go down the same path. If Lazarus were here, he'd tell him to stand by and protect her. Reiner encouraged him to train harder so he could surpass Gabi and save her from the dark future they were facing. To give her a chance to live a normal life. It wasn't a difficult decision. He raced after her.
Michael also raced after them as fast as his new ODM gear could carry him. On the way he's been trying to get into Gabi's head and figure out what she plans to do. No way she'd just shoot up at the airship. That would just get her killed. He hadn't trained her to be so over-daring.
But by the time he reached the street the airship was hovering over, his eyes widened with shock once she saw what she was doing. She managed to shoot down one of the new Yeagerist recruits and was using his ODM gear to reach the top of the airship. And to make matters worse, Falco was riding up there with him.
"GABI! FALCO! NO!"
His voice didn't reach them in time. The moment he was closing in on them, they had already reached the top. Michael tries to go after them, but the airship is already pulling up when they got there. It was well out of anchor range now.
He couldn't let those kids go in alone. They'd only end up dead. Though his body was still weak, he channelled all of the energy he'd just regained into his legs and conjured a crystal platform underneath his feet.
The platform rapidly grew until he reached its limit, launching him straight up in the air. From there he reaches out and makes his second attempt. This time he manages to succeed in latching onto the airship. He quickly pulls himself in and reaches the door. From outside he can see Gabi aiming her rifle at a group of Scouts and Yeagerists. Instinct took over once more as he dived through the archway and tackled her. However, he was not fast enough to stop her from pulling the trigger.
The bullet was fired into the top right corner of the airship and ricocheted off the ceiling and floor until it managed to hit someone.
"Michael?"
Michael slowly gets up and turns himself around. This is the second time now he's heard Sasha's voice. Though this time it sounded different. Like she'd been spooked.
Silence overtook the whole airship until moments later the sounds of someone gurgling and struggling to stand up. Jean, Connie, and Sasha step to the side and reveal that the bullet ends up hitting a random Yeagerist in the neck. He had his hand on the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. But it was no use. He soon stumbled backwards and ended up falling out the open door, plummeting to his doom.
"Damnit, I missed!" She looks up at Michael. She knew he was still alive, but at this moment she was unable to process that. Right now, she was annoyed at him for tackling her just as she was about to avenge the two guards Sasha had killed." Why did you interfere?! I was so close to avenging-
"Shut. Up." Michael raised his voice at her, startling her. "Do you have ANY idea how worried I was?! How could you be so brain-dead?! Have you completely forgotten everything I've been teaching you?! You could've been killed! And what's worse is you've dragged Falco into this!"
As Michael was scolding his protégé, the other Scouts had snapped out of their stunned silence and angrily charged for them, ready to beat them to death. Michael quickly grabs the kids and holds them close to him, using his own body as a meat shield for the barrage of punches and kicks. He could feel his body in pain from the merciless beating, but he kept on holding them close to spare them from the savagery.
"Stop it! Get off him!" Sasha shouted out to them. But none of them listened and kept on hitting him. "Jean, do something!"
"Why should I? He's one of them now, remember?" He coldly responded.
"Quit hiding them you Marleyan lapdog!" Floch cried out, trying to get around Michael so he could lay a hit on the kids. "You can't protect her forever!"
"I can and I will!" He thrusts his head back, smacking Floch right in the face so hard he'd broken his nose. Floch stumbles backwards, accidentally pushing the other Yeagerists back.
A very badly bruised and blooded Michael backs Gabi and Falco into the corner and stands his ground in front of them with his fists raised, crystals beginning to coat them. "Do whatever you want to me, I don't care! But don't you EVER lay a finger on these kids! You wanna get to them, you'll have to kill me first!"
The enraged Floch gets back up and holds his nose in an attempt to stop the blood from gushing out. A pained groan escaped his lips every time he touched it. Connie hands him some bandages to stop the bleeding and Jean helps bend it back into its original place, though it hurt like hell.
"What on earth is going on in here?" A new voice sounded off from the opposite end of the hall.
"Loboth's dead, sir. Those kids shot him and climbed aboard using his ODM gear. Then Michael showed up and broke my damn nose!" Floch addresses the voice as the sounds of their footsteps were drawing closer and closer to the other end.
"Did you say Michael? As in Michael Suurvalta? The Crystal Titan?"
The Yeagerists move aside, allowing the mysterious figure to approach the intruders. Michael's eyes shoot wide open and his body begins to tremble. He knows this individual. He and Lazarus had met him once before when they looked into the lives of Dante and Lydia Averbach.
The man stood taller than most of the Yeagerists. He wore a long black trench coat, black trousers, and fancy black shoes. He also wore black leather gloves, a black fedora, and carried a sleek, shiny black cane with a metal mould of a Titan's head with an eerie facial expression on it as a new addition to his look. He appeared much older than everyone else, roughly in his mid-fifties and had long silver hair tied back in a ponytail, dull grey eyes and a deadpan facial expression. At least it was before he laid eyes on Michael, Gabi, and Falco.
"Well well well. I never thought I'd be seeing you here. So nice to properly meet you face to face, Michael. And I see you've brought company."
"It… can't be… You're alive?!" Michael stuttered with fear, something that got Gabi and Falco spooked. They've never seen Michael act this way before. Whoever he was, he seemed to be someone from Michael's past.
"Michael, who is this man? Do you know him?" Falco asked.
"My apologies, I've forgotten my manners. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is…
"Ludwig Oppenheimer." Michael intervened, narrowing his eyes at him.
"You may call me Doctor Ludwig Oppenheimer!"
To Be Continued